Safe (With Him)
by DobbyRocksSocks
Summary: Or five times Tony has nightmares, and one time he's sleeps the night through. Avengers Team bonding, with a side of TonyBucky.


**Disclaimer - I own nothing you recognise.**

 _Written for My Grandma, because she's awesome and I love her._

 _Drabble Game - Avengers Team, Nightmares._

 **Word Count - 1603**

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 **Safe (With Him)**

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.1.

He padded through the tower, the bright lights helping to keep the shadows away. Jarvis had immediately lit the place up, anticipating Tony's path to the kitchen to ensure there were no dark rooms on his way. The nightmare that had woken him up had been so vivid and horrible that he didn't even want to chance going back to sleep.

Entering the kitchen, grateful to find it empty, though at three in the morning he wasn't surprised, he flicked the coffeemaker on and hopped up onto the side.

"J, play some music, quietly please," he murmured. He didn't want to wake anyone up, but the silence was deafening. It was even quiet outside, the usual sounds of traffic dulled by the time.

Tony had just grabbed his coffee cup when he heard a sound by the door. Startled, he dropped his mug, scolding his arm. Gasping, Tony flinched at the pain and the loud clatter the mug made on the kitchen floor.

Thanking small mercies that it hadn't broken, he looked over at the door to see who it was that had made him jump.

Sam stood there, looking apologetic as he held his hands up in the universal sign for peace.

Tony waved him in.

"You're fine, I just wasn't expecting anyone to be up right now."

"Same, to be honest," Sam replied quietly. He crossed to the sink, setting it to run cold before he gestured Tony over. "Here, run your arm under this, it'll help."

Tony did as he was bid, and the stinging eased. When he moved his arm away and pat it dry, Sam was holding out a freshly poured coffee.

"Wanna talk about it?" he offered, his head tilted to the side slightly.

Tony shook his head. The very last thing he wanted to do was revisit that which had forced him into the kitchen in the first place.

Sam smiled, nodding his head once. "Fair. Wanna watch a movie?"

Grinning, Tony led the way into the living area.

.2.

Tony woke up with a gasp, his breathing fast and his chest aching.

"You're in the lab, sir," Jarvis said, his tone soothing. "The time is quarter past four, am."

Tony sighed, slumping back onto the worn sofa he kept in his lab for the times when dragging his tired carcass up to his bed was just too much to deal with.

"You okay?"

Tony blinked.

Bruce was standing by his workstation, watching Tony with concern.

"I. I'm good. When did you get here?" Tony asked, sitting up.

He wasn't bothered that Bruce had witnessed his nightmare. Bruce was one of the few people Tony felt he could be weak with without judgement, and this wasn't the first time Bruce had been there when he'd woken with pictures of space still in his mind.

"About two hours ago, but I slept most of the way here, so I was pretty wired."

Tony nodded, then gestured to the workstation. "What are you working on?"

Bruce grinned. "Wanna science?"

.3.

"Are you alright?"

Tony nodded, trying to get his bearings.

"We're flying over the Atlantic," Natasha told him quietly. "Should be back at the tower in about an hour."

Oh. Tony remembered now. Natasha had gone with him on a business trip, taking the opportunity to scope out some of the suspected Hydra bases while Tony schmoozed with the business men.

Tony wasn't stupid, he knew that Nat was with him at least partially for protection and so he wasn't alone if anything went tits up, but they'd both been silent on the matter.

"How long did I sleep?" Tony asked, rubbing at his eyes. He could feel a headache blossoming, and he tried to massage his temples to ward it off.

It didn't work.

"A couple of hours, but since I know for a fact that you haven't slept in the last three days, you probably need more."

Tony shrugged. "Nightmares don't discriminate on how much sleep you've had, Nat."

She nodded, then gestured him over to sit between her legs. He shifted immediately, and groaned happily when her hands went into his hair.

"You've got magic fingers," he moaned.

"Uh huh. You know, talking about your nightmares might help you not have them anymore. Doesn't have to be with me. Just… think about it, alright?"

"I will."

.4.

"You know you can't run on coffee and sass, right?"

Tony snorted, looking up to find Steve watch him at the coffee machine.

"I can try," he replied, pouring Steve a cup while he was at it.

"Nightmares still bad?" Steve asked, accepting the cup and sitting down at the table.

Tony shrugged but then nodded. "I guess. I just… I don't even remember what actual, restful sleep is anymore. I used to know. Or… I used to pass out but Platypus made me promise to stop doing that, so the whiskey is out and…"

Tony trailed off running a hand through already messy hair.

"What are you having nightmares about?"

"Afghanistan. The portal. Losing you guys. Just… all the things."

"You know… I'm here, Tony. We all are. If you ever want to talk, to just get it off your chest. I can't say this for the others, although I'm sure it's just as true for them, but I'll never judge you for having nightmares; no matter what they're about."

"I… I don't want to interrupt your schedule," Tony hedged. "You're due to go running in like, eleven minutes."

"You're worth missing a morning run for."

So Tony did what he'd so far refused to do.

He talked about his nightmares.

.5.

Tony collapsed onto the sofa next to Bucky, his head landing against Bucky's flesh shoulder.

"Nightmares again, Doll?"

"Hmm," Tony agreed tiredly.

Bucky wrapped his arm around Tony's shoulder and squeezed, before he shifted and pulled Tony onto his lap, letting Tony rest against his chest.

"You make a _fantastic_ pillow, Buckaroo," Tony murmured quietly, snuggling in to the embrace.

Bucky smiled. The team looked on with varying signs of approval on their faces, and Steve even shot Bucky a thumbs up.

Rolling his eyes, Bucky turned his attention back to the TV. Since Tony's talk with Steve, his nightmares had eased quite a lot (damn Nat for being right), but he still had them. Bucky had become Tony's go to, ever since he found out that Bucky suffered from them as well.

It was a good system, since Bucky found that finding Tony in the Lab was a nice relief from his own nightmares.

It had inevitably led to the two of them getting closer.

Bucky was almost sure that he could probably say they were more or less dating. Ish. They were getting there at least. He was okay with them going slow.

When the movie ended, and Tony had fallen back into a deep sleep, Bucky cradled him in his arms gently and carried him up to his penthouse suite.

He place Tony gently on the bed, and was about to leave when Tony blinked blearily up at him.

"Stay."

"Tony."

"Please. Just. Stay. Just to sleep. I just… I don't have nightmares when I'm with you."

Bucky melted. Stripping to his boxers, he climbed into the bed beside Tony, wrapping him up in his arms. "Sleep, Doll. I'll keep you safe."

+1

Tony woke slowly, stretching luxuriously. Or at least, he would've done if he wasn't being held in place by strong arms. Turning his head, he felt a smile stretching his lips when he saw Bucky, looking less stressed that Tony had ever seen him, still asleep.

He looked boyish in sleep, almost childlike with innocence.

Not that anyone could consider Bucky innocent, Tony mused, because even without the Winter Soldier, Bucky had been a _sniper._ He was dangerous, and yet, the way he'd held Tony so carefully all through the night, Tony couldn't help but feel safe with him.

His eyelids fluttered a few times, and Tony smiled, waiting for him to open his eyes.

"I can feel you staring at me," Bucky grumbled, keeping his eyes shut tight. Tony pouted. "And don't pout at me."

"How?" Tony demanded.

Bucky blinked his eyes open to smirk at Tony. "Guess I just know you, huh?"

"I guess you do," Tony replied. "But. I have to get up. The coffeemaker is calling my name."

Bucky snorted but lifted his metal arm from where it was holding Tony in place. Tony crawled from the bed, grabbing a shirt from the floor as he went. He used the bathroom quickly and then had Jarvis take him to the communal area in the lift.

When he arrived at the kitchen, it was to find Steve, Nat and Sam all there already, each nursing their own cups.

Tony stumbled past them to get his own, and only when he had a steaming cup of the life giving liquid did he greet them good morning.

They were all smirking at him, and he raised his eyebrow for explanation.

"No nightmares last night then?" Nat asked, her smirk turning into a genuine smile.

Tony shook his head. "I slept great, thanks."

"Uh huh," Sam murmured, his eyes sparkling with amusement.

Bucky entered the kitchen at that moment, topless and gorgeous, and Tony stared for a long moment before he pouted at him. "Bucky-bear, they're picking on me!"

Bucky chuckled, crossing the kitchen to Tony. He dropped a kiss to his lips and then murmured, "That'll be because you're wearing my shirt, doll."


End file.
